Queens Residents to Greet New Year with Rare Beer Toast and Yoga Class

QUEENS — From parties with DJs and sipping rare beers to yoga classes and walks on the beach — Queens residents can choose a variety of ways to ring in the new year.

A number of local pubs and restaurants will kick off the party with live music and dinners, and most are less than $100.

Wrayband, a classic rock band, will play at The Flying Pig on Austin Street, starting at 9:30 p.m. There is no cover charge.

For those who would like to start with a meal, Banter on Queens Boulevard will have a 10 p.m. seating, serving a prix fixe three-course dinner ($45 per person) with an option for a three-hour open bar (for an extra $35). Main course options will include Chilean sea bass, prime rib and lobster ravioli. There won’t be a cover charge at the door.

Forest Hills Station House is organizing a New Year’s Eve party ($90 per person), which will include an open bar for four hours, artisanal hors d’oeuvres, a roast beef carving station and a toast with a rare beer at midnight.

The specific beer has not been chosen yet, but the owners promise that it will be “something you can’t find anywhere.”

DJ Barry Blends will rock the party at CityRib, a high-end barbecue restaurant on Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica, where for $49 patrons will get to taste a variety of dishes at a specialty buffet, including spare ribs, wings and macaroni and cheese as well as a champagne toast. Drinks are $5 each. A continental breakfast will also be served around 1 a.m., said Regan Uriarte, CityRib's manager.

France Joli, a Canadian singer best known for her hit “Come to Me,” will perform during a party at Resorts World Casino on Rockaway Boulevard in Jamaica ($50 per person).

For those who would like to have fun with their children, My Kitchen on Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills is organizing a "kids friendly" party, that will include a DJ, dinner (filet mignon and shrimp scampi or chicken marsala with porcini mushrooms) and a cocktail hour.

“Last year, a few people came with their kids and it worked out really well," said Dhanny Palma. "We want to give people that option." Tickets are $125 (all inclusive) for adults and $85 for children.

Patrons at Austin’s Ale House in Kew Gardens will have a choice of celebrating New Year’s Eve at the bar with drinks, beer and hors d’oeuvres ($40 per person) from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. or enjoy a four course dinner, including in the dining room ($50 per person).

For those who want to continue celebrating into New Year's Day, the pub will serve brunch until 3 p.m. Regular brunch will cost $17.95, while the option with unlimited Bloody Marys, mimosas or screwdrivers, will cost $26.95.

For locals who would like to exercise instead, Bally Total Fitness in Kew Gardens will remain open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Jan. 1. At noon, there will be a New Year’s Day yoga class. The class will last about two hours and will include elements of meditation ($5 for members, $8 for non-members).

The group will later return to Queens for a vegetarian lunch. “Anyone is welcome,” said Rene David Alkalay of the center. “We hope people will get a sense of renewal from nature on this New Year's Day,” he said.

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